Tuyere



March 2s, 1944. g.. A REECE 2,345,503

TUYERE Filed Aug. 27, 1942 Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED sm'rns PATENTOFFICE.

2,345,503 TUYRE Herbert A.. Reece, Cleveland Heights, Ohio ApplicationAugust 27, 1942, Serial No'. 456,378

(Cl. 26S-42) 14 Claims.

My invention relates to metallurgical furnaces and the like, such ascupolas for the melting of metal, and is directed to the tuyres enteringthe same for the supplying of a blast of air to the interior of thefurnace at a plurality of positions around the furnace.

'I'he principles of my invention are particularly directed to the formand construction of the tuyre boxes or easings mounted in the wall ofthe furnace and to the operating parts associated therewith. The tuyreboxes have openings extending therethrough for the passage of the airblast through the furnace wall, the walls of the tuyre boxes beingmounted in the furnace wall.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved means ofcontrolling the flow of air through the tuyres into the furnace.

Another object is the provision for efficiently regulating the size ofthe opening through the tuyre.

Another object is the provision for efficiently regulating the angulardisposition of walls of the opening to guide the air blast as desired.

Another object is the provision for adjustably changing the are of thewalls in the tuyre box guiding the air blast into the furnace.

Another object is the provision for dividing a tuyre` box in two or moreparts and to effectively make each part a separate tuyre by adjustablyfiaring a movable wall therein.

' the furnace.

Another object is the provision for adjust ably varying the shape of awall of a tuyre box to guide the air blast through the box in a mannerdesired.

Another object is the provision for changing a tuyre box having oppositeend walls flared out toward the interior of the furnace into two or moreportions each having opposite end walls flared out toward the interiorof the furnace and thereby effecting two or more separate flared tuyres.y

Another object is the provision for adjusting the area of the openingthrough a tuyre. the degree of change in area being greater on the theouter side of the tuyre.

Another object is the provision for efficiently changing the effectivearea in a tuyre box through which an air blast passes and efficientlyguiding the air blast through the box to control its distribution intothe furnace.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tuyre box embodying the preferredform of my invention with the top plate of the box raised up from itsnorma1 position to better show the interior of the box, the box beingpositioned in the wall of a furnace of which a partial view is shown;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a tuyre box embodying a modified form of myinvention;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the tuyre box shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a tuyre box embodying another modified formof my invention; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the tuyre box shown in Figure 4.

Referring torthe views of the drawing, there is shown a tuyre boxdenoted generally by the reference character I5. The tuyre box i5 ismounted in the brick wall Il of a cupola or other metallurgical furnacein such manner that the tuyre box provides an opening through thefurnace wall from outside the furnace tolinside A plurality of the tuyreboxes are mounted in the furnace wall around the circumferential extentthereof in the usual manner, most often in one horizontal plane butsometimes in more than one horizontal plane or otherwise disposed. Asall of the tuyre boxes in my improved furnace are of similarconstruction it has been .considered necessary to illustrate only onetuyre box in the furnace wall and the adjacent portion of the furnacewall.

The furnace wall being cylindrical is of concave form on its innersurface and of, convex form on its outer surface. The inner and outeroutline of the tuyre box generally conforms to these surfaces as to besubstantially flush therewith. There is an opening or open spaceextending through the tuyre box communicating with the interior of thefurnace on one side and with a source of an air blast outside thefurnace on the other side. 'I'he source of the air blast may be a windbox proper mounted to the side of the furnace, a boot-leg pipe or otherconduit between the wind box proper and the individual tuyres, or othersuitable source. For purposes of definition and simplicity indescription the source of the air blast may be referred to in thisdescription and the claims as a wind box. A shell l2 of iron, steel orother metal surrounds the 'brick wall ll and the opening in the tuyrebox l5 extends through vthis shell as Well as through the wall II. Theshell I2 forms the outer surface of the furnace wall and may form theinner surface of the wind box (or boot-leg pipe)` adjacent the tuyre.

In Figure 1, wherein portions of the wall and surrounding wind box arecut away to illustrate the construction of the tuyre box, only a portionof the wind box is shown, the portion shown being the bottom wall I4thereof. The wind box, however, may be assumed to have any of the usualforms now known. In Figures 2 to `5, inclusive, the outer wall I3 of thewind box is also shown.

My tuyre box I5 comprises a bottom plate I6, the outer end plates I1,the inner flared end plates I3 and the top plate I8. The tuyre box ismade of suitable metal such as iron, steel or special heat resistingalloys. I'he bottom plate and end plates may conveniently be cast in oneintegral piece as illustrated in Figure 1. The top plate I8 rests uponand is secured to the top edges of the end plates to form contiguouswalls.l

A tongue or projection provided on the top plate I8 is adapted to fitinto the groove or recess 2l in the errl plates I1 and to secure theparts together..

It is to be noted that the end plates I9 are disposed at an angle andflare outwardly toward the interior of the furnace. It has been foundthat such a construction forms an eiiicient tuyre in guiding the airblast'through the tuyre and distributing it fan-wise into the interiorof the furnace.

In prior tuyre boxes there has sometimes been positioned in the tuyrebox, intermediate of its flared ends, an upright or vertical strut orflat plate permanently fixed in position and disposed on a radial lineextending from the axis of the furnace. Such a strut has however beennothing more than a Support for the top of the tuyre box. Beingrelatively narrow, it did not eectively divide the opening through thetuyre box and was not Aangularly disposed in relationship to the endwalls of the tuyre box to cooperate therewith in guiding anddistributing' the air blast in a manner required forl a well-designedtuyre. The limitations, disadvantages and defects of such priorconstructions become apparent from the disclosure of the presentinvention.

There is mounted in my improved tuyre box a pair of flat plates 2'2 and23 hinged together at their forward edges disposed toward the interiorof the furnace by means of a hinged mounting 24. The pivot pins extendup and down into holes 26 in the top and bottom plates of the `tuyrebox, only the upper pin 25 and upper hole 26 being shown in Figure 1 ofthe drawing. The vertical plates 22 and 23 are free to rotate on themounting 24 relative to each other and relative to the walls of thetuyre box. The free ends lof the .plates 22 and 23 extend back throughthe tuyre box at a variable angle to each other and generally toward theoutside of the furnace.

It is to be observed that as the front edges of plates 22 and 23 arepivotally joined and the lio ing angularly disposed arms 36 slidablyengaged in the slide rings 35 extending from, and carried by', the outeredges or free ends of the plates 22 and 23. A vertically disposed arm orrod 3B joining the arms 3B of the Y-shaped member extends down through asmall opening in the bottom wall Il of the wind box. The engagement ofrod 38 in the opening through the wall is such that there is a hermeticseal against the loss of air from the Wind box. To give strength andrigidity to the Y-shaped element the upper ends of the arms 36 are tiedtogether by the element 31. The Y- shaped element is preferably made ofmetal or other strong and rigid material. A notched scale member 39 issecured to the side of the furnace wall and a pointer element 40non-movably secured to the rod 38 is adapted to engage in notches in themember 39 andto indicate the relative elevation of rod 38 and hence theposition of vthe arms 36 in the slide rings 35.

Upward movement of the rod 38 from outside the wind box is translatedinto a movement swinging the plates 22 and 23 toward each other anddiminishing the angle between them. Downward movement of the rod 38 istranslated into a movement swinging the plates 22 and 23 away from eachother and increasing the angle between them. Therefore, the angulardisposition of the plates 22 and 23 may be adjustably determined andfixed by means of the Y-shaped member and notched element 39. Theangular disposition of the plates-22 and 23 determines the effectivearea of the opening through which an air blast passes and the deflectingor guiding of the air blast by the plates 22 and 23.

It is to be noted that by adjustment of the position of plates 22 and 23the tuyre opening is, in e'ect, divided into two tuyre openings eachhaving flared end walls for properly guiding and distributing the airblast into the furnace. The plates 22 ad 23 are thus adapted tocooperate with the flared end walls I9 in the control of the air blastthrough the furnace Wall and into the furnace. By adjustment of theangular disposi- 5 tion of the plates '22 and 23 the desired re-actionrear edges or free ends of the plates may swing inarcs, the effectivearea of the opening lthrough the tuyre box is variably modied. Likewise,the angle of deection or guidance of the air blast by the walls 22 and23 is variably changed by adjusting the angular disposition of theplates.

The means provided for adjustably swinging the plates 22 and 23 in theembodiment shown in Figure 1 consists of a Y-shaped member havbetweenthe plates 22 and 23 and flared end walls I9 may be obtained.

The inner open area, of the tuyre box (that is, the size of the tuyreopening adjacent the inside of the furnace), is preferably of a fixedvalue which has been determined by calibration with regard to thediameter of the furnace and other factors. My tuyre box has theadvantage of incorporating therein the flexible features of changing theeective area of the opening through which the air blast passes and ofchanging the deflectlng or guiding action afforded to the air blast, andat the same time maintaining the fixed value for the inner open area ofthe tuyre box. This is possible by reason the convergence and joinder ofthe plates 22 and 23 on the side of the tuyre box toward the interior ofthe furnace to maintain a substantial constant width of the two platesat the region of their joinder.

In Figures 2 and 3 there is shown a modied l arrangement for moving theplates 22 and 23. A

cam guide member 21 has two annular slots or grooves 28 in which extendand slide pins or bosses 29 carried by the outer edges or free ends ofthe plates 22 and 23. A shaft 30 rigidly secured to the carn member 21and extending out through the outer wall I3 of the wind box in ahermetic seal therewith is rotatable by the handle 3| to revolve the cammember through substantially 90. The turning of the handle 3|, fromoutside the wind box, swings the plates toward each other when turned inone direction and away from each other when turned in an oppositedirection.

In Figures 4 :md 5 there is shown another modified arrangement formoving the plates 22 and 23. Crossed levers 33 have slots 32 slidablyengaging the Ipins or bosses 29 carried by the outer edges or free endsof plates 22 and 23. The levers 33 are pivotally mounted to the bottomwall I4 of the wind box by means of the mounting 34 and extend throughthe bottom of the wind box in a hermetic seal therewith. Movement of thelower ends of the levers is translated into movement of the plates 22and 23.

The present disclosure includes the description contained in thefollowing claims as well as in the foregoing specification. Although Ihave described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, itis understood that the .present disclosure has been made only by way ofexample and that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed. l

I claim as my invention:

1. A tuyre box for a metallurgical furnace, said box having an openingtherethrough for providing communication for an air blast from outsidethe furnace through the furnace wall to the interior of the furnace,said opening being defined by a top plate, a bottom plate and oppositeend plates, said end plates being flared out toward the interior of thefurnace to direct said air blast fan-wise into the furnace from saidopening, a pair of movable plates disposed in said opening intermediateof said end plates, said movable plates being pivotally mounted at theiredges adjacent the interior of the furnace and swingable toward and awayfrom each other in the tuyre box to vary the size of said openingadjacent the outside of the furnace wall, and operating means forswinging said movable plates to desired angular positions in saidopening, the said movable plates being adapted to be ared outwardlytoward the interior of the furnace by the angular disposition thereof todivide the tuyre into two openings having flared ends and directing theair blast through said two openings fan-wise into the furnace. A

2. In a tuyre box mountable in the wall of a metallurgical furnace, saidtuyre box having an opening extended therethrough to permit an air blastto pass through the box from the outside to the inside of the furnace, apair of plates vertically positioned in said box intermediate the endsthereof, said plates being hinged together and to said box on theiredges disposed toward the interior of the furnace and being swingable insaid box relative to each other to vary the size of said opening on theside of the box toward the exterior of the furnace, and means forswinging said plates to adjust their angular disposition in said box,the angular disposition of the plates determining the effective area ofsaid opening on the side of the box toward the exterior of the box andthe degree of deflection of said air blast passing through the openingadjacent said plates into the furnace.

3. In a tuyre box having defining walls adapted to be mounted in thewall of a metallurgical furnace and having an open space extendingtherethrough from the exterior of the furnace to the interior of thefurnace, the defining walls at the ends of the tuyre being angularlydisposed to progressively increase the size of said open space towardthe interior of said furnace, a pair of movable plates in said boxdividing said open space into two parts, pivot mounting means connectingsaid plates and pivotally connecting the plates, to said box adjacentthe side of the box toward the interior of the furnace, said platesextending back through the open space in the box toward the exterior ofthe furnace, and 0perating means connecting said plates for swingingsaid plates relative to each other to change the angular disposition ofthe plates in said box, the adjustment `of the angular disposition ofsaid plates by said operating means adjustably determining the size ofsaid two parts of said open space and fixing the degree of deflection bysaid plates of said air blast passing through said two parts of the openspace in the tuyre box.

4. A tuyre box adapted to be mounted in the wall of a metallurgicalfurnace, the end walls of said 4box diverging from each other toward theinterior of the furnace to spread the air blast passing through the boxfan-wise into the furnace, a pair of movable plates vertically disposedin said box intermediate of said end walls, said movable plates beingpivotally connected to said box and meeting each other at their forwardedges adjacent the interior of the furnace.

vsaid movable plates extending back through the box and having theirrearward edges disposed toward the exterior of the furnace, and meansconnected to said rearward edges for swinging said plates in said box toadjustably fix the angular disposition of the plates in the box, theangular disposition-of said plates relative to each other determiningthe effective area of the box through which said air blast may pass andfixing the relative divergence between said end walls of the boxand saidplates to control the spread of said air blast moving through the box onopposite sides of said plates.

`free portion of the plates to said 5. In a tuyre box for ametallurgical furnace. a pair of hinged plates mounted in the box, thehinged portion of the plates being disposed toward the interior of thefurnace and the free portion of the plates being disposed toward theexterior of the furnace, an operating member having angle portionsdisposed at an angle to each other, and slide means connecting the angleportion of the operating member, the arrangement of the plates,operating member and slide means being such that movement of theoperating member toward and away from said plates swings the platesabout said hinged portion to vary the effective opening through thetuyre box and the angle of the plates relative to the walls of the tuyrebox.

6. Inl a tuyre box for a metallurgical furnace, a pair of hinged platespivotally mounted in the box, the hinged portion of the plates beingdisposed toward the interior of the furnace and the free portion of theplates being disposed toward the exterior of the furnace; a revolvablecam member connecting the free ends of said plates and adapted to swingsaid plates toward and away from each other in said box, and a shaft forrevolving said cam member, the swing-1 ing of said plates into desiredangular position by said cam member and said' shaft providing for theadjustment of the effective area of the opening through said box for theair blast and deection of the air blast passing through the box.

7. In a tuyre box for a metallurgical furnace, a pair of hinged platespivotally mounted in the box, the hinged portion of the plates beingdisposed toward the interior/ of the furnace and the free portion of theplates being disposed toward the exterior of the furnace, a pair ofslotted levers slidably engaging lthe free ends of said plates, saidslotted levers being pivotally mounted to move at an angle to saidplates and to swing said plates toward and away from each other,whereby-the angular disposition of said plates in the box may beadjustably iixed.

8. In a tuyre box having an 4entrance upstream opening and an exitdown-stream opening larger than the up-stream opening for admitting airto a metallurgical furna, closure means extending into the tuyre box forrestricting the up-stream opening without materially restricting thedown-stream opening, and adjustable means for positioning the closuremeans.

9. In a tiwre box having an entrance upstream opening and an exitdown-stream opening for admitting air to a metallurgical furnace,closure means extending into the tuyre box for restricting the up-streamopening without materially restricting the down-stream opening, andadjustable means for positioning the closure means, said closuremeanscomprising a member having a side disposed at an angle to a side of thetuyre box.

10. In a tuyre box having an entrance upstream opening and an exitdown-stream opening i for admitting air to a metallurgical furnace,closure means extending into the tuyre box for restricting the11p-stream opening without restricting the down-stream opening, lockingmeans for positioning the closureA means, said closure means comprisingtwo parts having their downstream ends converging toward each other andhaving their up-stream ends separated to restrict the up-strea'mopening.

11. In a tuyre box having an entrance upstream opening and an exitdown-stream opening for admitting air to a metallurgical furnace,closure means extending into the tuyre box for restricting the up-streamopening without materially restricting the down-stream opening, andadjustable means for positioning the closure means, said closure meanscomprising two swingable vane members substantially dividing the tuyrebox with their down-stream ends converging toward each other andpivotally connected to said box and with their up-stream ends beingswingable with reference to each other to restrict the up-streamopening.

12. A tuyre box having an entrance up-stream opening and an exitdown-stream opening for a metallurgical furnace having an air duct, saidtuyre box having a center strut having two parts foldable laterally withrespect to each other, actuating means for expanding the foldable partsto close the tuyre and for contracting the foldable parts to open thetiLvre, and locking means engaging the actuating means to adjustablyposition the two foldable parts at any point between their open andclosed positions, said two foldable parts restricting the up-streamopening more than the down-stream opening.

13. Inv'a tuyre box having an entrance upstream opening and an exitdown-stream opening for admitting air to a metallurgical furnace,closure means extending into the tuyre box for restricting the up-streamopening without materially restricting the down-stream opening, andadjustable means for positioning the closure means.

14. In a tuyre box having an entrance upstream opening and an exitdown-stream opening for admitting air to a metallurgical furnace,closure means extending into the tuyre box for restricting the up-streamopening without materially restricting the down-stream opening, andadjustable means for positioning the closure means, said closure meanscomprising a swingable vane member adjustably positioned at variableangles with respect to a side of the tuyre box.

HERBERT A. REECE.

